Monte Cristo Sandwich Poppers

My all time favorite sandwich has ham and turkey with melty cheese fried to perfection. The Monte Cristo. I just love Monte Cristo Sandwiches. I can’t get enough of the sweet salty crunchiness. Every time I go to a new restaurant, I scour the menu to see if they make this fabulous tasty treat. Few of them do, but I always know where to find one (usually in my kitchen) if I am in need of one! I prefer them fried in a batter best, but I can go for a pan fried one as well on a whim.

The salty ham and turkey accompanied by ooey gooey cheese is heaven in itself, but then add the sweet red raspberry jam, that’s traditionally served on the side, mmm…mmm… Makes the whole bite come together so deliciously. I’ve made a few different variations; sandwiches, sliders and even a breakfast casserole, but my favorite version are Mini Monte Cristo “sandwich” Poppers. They’re bite size, dippable, poppable and very easy eating and clean up! They’re especially great as an appetizer at a gathering, party, or for a night in with your hungry family.

They’re fun to make, fun to eat, and so delicious. Quite addicting actually! Start out with some bread. I like to use white sandwich bread, but a mild wheat can totally be used as well. I just stay away from breads with nuts and seeds. Makes for an odd flavor combination and crunch. Don’t get anything with a hard crust either, unless you can cut it off and still have a decent size piece bread. But, take a slice, cut the crust off and place your a slice of your favorite deli ham and a slice of turkey on it. Then layer with Swiss or provolone cheese. Swiss is not my favorite cheese. I can eat it, but if I don’t have to…I’ll leave it in the refrigerator! You have free reign with these though. Even use cheddar if you so desire!

Next, roll it up into a log shape. I forcefully mash it together so it won’t unravel and fall apart. You’re going to end up smashing the bread, but you’ll never notice when everything is all said and done! I then cut the log into medallions. I got about five out of each roll I made with standard size sandwich bread. Secure each with a toothpick and set aside while making the fry batter.

Make the batter by adding all the dry ingredients together: flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix and whisk in the water and milk. Strain if it’s quite lumpy.

Heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and you’re ready to make some poppers.
Make sure you have a cooling rack ready and available so these can drain and cool a bit after they have come out of the oil.

To fry these poppers, dunk your medallion into the batter and pop into the oil. It won’t take but a minute or two to fry up completely. It’ll be a deep golden brown. Take out and cool a bit. It’s a pretty quick process. Once they’re cool enough to touch, pull out the toothpicks and arrange on a plate and dust liberally with powdered sugar. They’ll look like little donut holes, but will taste so much better! Place a small bowl with raspberry jam on the side (I added a bit of water to thin out the consistency) and you’re ready to party! Grab a popper, dip, eat, repeat!

I hope you love these as much as I do! Give them a try and let me know what you think!